Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker watches the field during the Spartans' 31-21 victory against Pitt in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30, 2021.
The hearing concerning the behavior of former MSU head football coach Mel Tucker will take place today and tomorrow.
But Tucker, who is being accused of sexual harassment by a rape survivor and advocate who previously worked with him and his team, won’t be there. Neither will his attorneys.
They claim Tucker’s “serious medical condition” prohibits them from attending under Office of Institutional Equity rules, according to a statement released this morning. Tucker refuses to disclose his medical condition.
The 106-page document also outlines “newly discovered evidence” regarding Brenda Tracy’s claims that Tucker non-consensually made sexual comments and masturbated over a phone call with her in April of 2022.
The statement, released on behalf of Tucker by his attorney Jennifer Belveal, claims Tracy misled investigators, manipulated witnesses and MSU and deleted key evidence.
“Ms. Tracy pulled the wool over the University’s eyes, and maligned Mr. Tucker’s reputation for personal gain,” the statement said.
The majority of the new evidence Tucker’s attorneys are bringing to the table come from text conversations between Tracy and her close friend, Ahlan Alvarado, who died in a car accident in June. It’s unclear how Tucker’s attorneys obtained their text exchange.
An unnamed witness, under oath, claimed Tracy tried to stop her and Alvarado’s text exchange from coming out.
“As detailed in the new witness’s sworn statement, while Ms. Tracy’s supposed friend lay dying in a hospital, and even after her death, Ms. Tracy sought to sleep over at Ms. Alvarado’s house (in her room) and repeatedly asked Ms. Alvarado’s family for access to Ms. Alvarado’s phone and computers,” the statement said.
Tracy allegedly withheld select texts with Alvarado from the Title IX investigator.
Those texts reveal, according to Belveal, a “plot” to get a portion of Tucker’s $9 million annual salary, and that her own financial situation was dire.
Additionally, a text exchange implies Tracy, who speaks with organizations around the country about sexual assault prevention, “made a career out of lying and manipulating people” and uses “professional crying” for profit, according to the statement.
The texts also allege that Tracy had a personal relationship with Georgia Tech men’s basketball head coach Damon Stoudamire, despite her allegedly telling the investigator that she does “not date people in (her) field," according to the statement.
Tracy's attorney declined to comment. Belveal did not return calls and messages for comment.
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